Tuesday, August 24, 2010

ToT- Things to tell a college freshman

Just some anecdotal advice I have gleaned from my own college experience, which was less than typical

1) Have fun, study - My dad always says work hard during the week and play on the weekend. You are in charge of your time, use it wisely.

2) Don't work during the school year - biggest mistake I made in school was working multiple jobs. If you want spending money put a cap on your hours I honestly suggest well less than 10 hours/week.

3) Work in the summer - Hopefully you can make enough money to pay for housing or books or maybe you can make enough to cover tuition. No matter what, the less you are in debt when you get out of school the easier it will be to live on a starting salary. Plus, you will already have work experience

4) Take the summer after you graduate off. It's going to be one of the few times in your life that you have 3 months to travel, visit, explore and enjoy the world you live in

5) Take advantage of cheap/free entertainment, arts, culture - I spent very little money to see mini-operas, baseball games, art exhibits, concerts and more. I wish I still had access to such cheap entertainment

6) Drop a class - If you hate it, it's not fitting in with the rest of your class and homework schedule drop it, take it over the summer or stay an extra semester, but don't make your other 4 classes suffer because of one class

7) Stay grounded - You are an adult now, fight your own battles, stand your ground and be humble enough to take criticism.

8) Have a purpose - Decide on a major, or decide that you want to accomplish something in the a certain time frame. Maybe you want to finish all of your gen eds in two years, or maybe you have something else in mind, but without a purpose you can spend a large sum of money on wasted time and effort.

9) Finish - Do everything you can to get that degree. People will take you seriously and after four years of money and time you want to be taken seriously

10) Go to class - It's easy to skip class, but the more you attend the easier the material will be and the less time you will have to spend studying it later.